In the Apple realm, IK Multimedia is best known for its music products, including everything from apps to microphones and mixers. iKlip Studio ($30) is a comparatively simpler accessory, a new tablet stand designed to complement those other products and work with any generation of iPad. The sturdy, slightly rough black plastic holder gets the job done without overcomplicating things, and has some neat features to differentiate itself from the crowd.

iKlip Studio is made of two 6” by 8.5” pieces of plastic held together at one end with a hinge, with a 3” by 4” section in the middle of the top half that folds down independently. For travel, the whole thing folds flat with plastic snaps at the top holding it together. Four rubber feet on the bottom add a little bit of height, as do two more on the top, plus two curled ledges for actually holding the iPad in place; the one on the right has three slots to allow audio from the speaker to pass through. The grips work with bare tablets, but are accommodating enough to support many cases as well.

Unsnapping the panels reveals seven different holes along the bottom. A tab at the top of the middle rectangle fits into one of the holes at a time, permitting you to choose from a variety of viewing angles. The lower one or two can also be used comfortably for keyboard angles, although the setup is a bit wobbly because of how the hinge system is constructed, which may deter some synthesizer players from intense key-pounding. At the highest angle, the iPad stands just shy of vertical. Because there’s nothing more than the ledges to hold the tablet, it can be positioned in landscape or portrait orientation without issue.

Included with the stand is an iRig clip that can fit into one of four different slots on the raised half of the stand, capable of holding various IK Multimedia accessories. For example, one might slide the iRig Mic into the holder, allowing it to be used hands-free. The clip sits completely flush with the plastic panel so as to not interfere with the iPad in any way; it’s a simple, yet well-conceived solution.

Although it’ll be particularly handy for musicians already in the IK Multimedia ecosystem, iKlip Studio is a smart, no-frills stand that any iPad user could benefit from. The frame doesn’t excel in the looks department, but that’s fine, as it gets the job done. The addition of the iRig clip will be particularly handy for those who use the company’s audio accessories, and is the single biggest factor justifying iKlip Studio’s existence in a marketplace where plastic Amzer Foldo stands can be found for less than $20. While it doesn’t “wow” us, the stand is pretty good and worthy of our general recommendation.

Editors' Note: iLounge only reviews products in "final" form, but many companies now change their offerings - sometimes several times - after our reviews have been published.
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